Threat of carp needs to be taken very seriously

June 6, 2014

It seems that for years the threat of Asian Carp was taken lightly at best and taken as a joke at worst. Carp were mocked by local radio personalities and were the subject of some incredible videos on YouTube.

But novelty act aside, the danger to our precious Great Lakes by this most invasive of species is real. Thankfully authorities have stepped up monitoring and commercial fishing operations in the effort to prevent Asian Carp from reaching the Great Lakes.

According to the Associated Press, the Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee released its strategy Wednesday for this year's operations.

The committee's goal is to bring together federal, state and local agencies to protect the lakes from carp and other invasive species of fish.

According to the AP both Bighead and silver carp have reached the Mississippi River and tributaries including the Illinois River which meets Lake Michigan near Chicago.

Among the measures planned include increased water sampling downstream of electric fish barries, more commercial fishing in selected areas testing the effectiveness of seismic pressure waves created by a water gun that may be used to scare away carp.

All this points to the fact that state, local and federal officials see the seriousness of this problem and the need for urgency.

We support the strategic plan of the committee and look forward to hearing reports of their successes.